Perry's 'Madea' stuns Hanks' 'Inferno' in box office upset

NEW YORK - Tom Hanks and Ron Howard's latest Dan Brown adaptation, "Inferno," went up in flames at the weekend box office, handing Tyler Perry's "Boo! A Madea Halloween" a surprise victory.

Perry's latest Madea movie remained No. 1 for the second straight week, topping the North American box office with an estimated $16.6 million. That was enough to scare away the third installment of the "Da Vinci Code" franchise. According to studio estimates Sunday, "Inferno" bombed with $15 million, about half of what more bullish predictions anticipated.

Sony Pictures and "Inferno" could take solace in stronger overseas business. In two weeks of international release, it's earned nearly $150 million. The studio also stressed that the $75 million budget for "Inferno" was half that of "The Da Vinci Code" or "Angels and Demons."